Old Souls
by Ellimistical20
Summary: a post Animorph-Yeerk war in which the surviving Animorphs must deal with the horrors of war


Old Souls  
  
By Derrick Pirrotta  
An Animorphs Story  
Animorphs©& Scholastic  
Animorphs created by K.A Applegate  
  
Chapter 1 Rachel's death (as told by Tobias.)  
  
Hi my name is Tobias. By now, you already know that. You probably know who I am and what I am. I was a part of the legendary team called the Animorphs. Freedom fighters for planet Earth. However, none of that mattered today because today marked the one-year anniversary of Rachel's death. I was there when she alone on a yeerk ship against overwhelming odds attacks a group of morph-capable yeerks. That was the day she lost her first battle. The day she died. My beautiful Rachel a goddess of war we called her. She was a teenager like the rest of us thrown into a war we hadn't asked for. The war had touched her. Not physically but physiologically it warped her mind and had turned her into a harden girl no longer interested in boys and shopping but blowing things up and killing. Not innocent bystanders of course but the enemy. However, while the rest of us did it out of necessity, she did it out of joy. She needed the war the way an addict needed drugs. It had scarred her and turned her into sometime that we barely recognized but she was still Rachel still a good person. Now she was dead my love the only person to ever first love me. Moreover, I blamed Jake, blamed him for using her and exploiting her weakness for action that ultimately caused her demise. For this, I vow never to speak to him never to place my self under his command. After the last battle and Andalite scout had recovered Rachel's body. She was cremated. I still have the urn. The only thing left of her I have. I guess no one goes untouched by war. The destruction sadness and pain coupled with fear and horror. Jake my former leader had caused the destruction of 17,000 defenseless yeerks, destroyed half a city, and gotten Rachel killed. The final battle still plays in my mind. "Help me Tobias!" Rachel Cried "I-I Can't" I sobbed tears running down my face. "No help me get him!" "Okay your left has to be fast!" A sudden noise shook me from my memories! Marco said coming out of the clearing a wolf slinking up slyly from the edge of the forest entering my meadow a field in the middle of the woods. Marco had came to say hi and to tell me of his fabulous life. Starlets and exclusive clubs he was the life of the party. Cassie he had said was secretary to the interior of residential aliens. Jake was a professor of 92 palms military base. In addition, Ax was a prince of the ship intrepid. They had all gone on with their lives after the war trial of visser three in The Hague. I had not.  
  
Chapter 2 Marco's life  
  
I was the life of the party! Cute little Marco! Marco the magnificent! I was dating girls who would have never looked at me before. I was a guest regular on David lettermen and Conan O'Brian and other late night shows. I've been on CNN, CNBC, C-span, and a bunch of other new shows. I done comedy and talk shows and news banter. My career as a star was rocketing. I was bigger than Hollywood put together. My Friend Jake was the most famous Man in history he could've had anything he wanted. Except he didn't want anything except for Rachel to be alive for Tobias to come back and to relive that fateful moment when he doomed 17,000 defenseless yeerks. Being Jake though he didn't breakdown he just spent his free time at Rachel's Monument. He was the tragic war-hero you know the ones you read about in history. I worried about him. Although on this day I had no worries fresh from seeing Tobias I was getting ready for a party at the playboy mansion. Hef here I come! My driver Spears I called him was a fast and excellent driver. And worth more than I pay him which, I assure you is considerable. "Spears!" I yelled loudly. "Get the Porsche ready!" he responded with a yes sir and moved to comply. Party here I come! Man it must be a boring party without me there. That will soon change I thought to my self with glee in my eyes as I put my shirt on.  
  
Chapter 3 Old Soul (As told by Jake) Elsewhere: Sinkler's Ridge, Tennessee, December 23,1864. From the diary of Isaiah Fitzhenry: "We know General Forest and his cavalry are out there. But will he come? Will he ever come? And if he dose, shall we be ready?" - Isaiah Fitzhenry. This battle was a vital battle for General Sherman. A supply line. We had numbered 60 men two days ago when we entered it now we barley have 25 strong. If Forest comes, we won't hold out long. We are cut off from new orders by Rebel solder that cut our telegraph line. We could not telegraph for new orders. I guess we our have problems. We must protect this ridge at all cost. Just today, a group of colored folks came from the hills asking to fight. It was an outrage they couldn't fight I told them but they could dig our defenses. They dug our defenses but still they want to fight. What would Joe Miller and the rest of the townsfolk say? This town was only weak pro unionist. If I let the colored men fight; I would lose their support. Yet 30 men to replace my own 30 men to not let them fight was sucide. We needed them! I told Miller of my plain. My god are you out of your mind? I assured him I wasn't. He said that the towns' folk would never allowed we are all like minded on the issue he said waving his hands to include the people. The nodded their head in approval. The next day the rebels attacked with 50 men. We survived the attack losing only 3 to their 13. Miller nodded. "That's why you need every man who can fight. Train 'em and arm them let them fight!" we trained them all with only 10 rounds. Then I mustered them in. they were officers of the union army. One by one, names filled in the blanks of I solemnly swear. Jackson, Moses, Washington, Jacob, Tennessee and Samson, It was a happy moment in a war that was not happy. "Lieutenant sir! The rebels are coming. Shouted Sergeant Rains. "Get the troops ready!" "thought you could use some help lieutenant!" There stood Joe Miller and most of the men from the town. Even the drummer boy and his revolver were there. "It's our town and by God we aim to fight for it!" said Miller pride in his voice. I told them to serve as the flank. "Ready spears? Rain?" I asked in a calm manner. "Yes sir!" they replied. "Joe?" "Yes sir" Joe replied raising his rife. "Jacob?" "Ready sir!" came the steady reply. "Fire!" I yelled. "Fire! The Rebel commander yelled. If I was injured in battle, I might be home before tomorrow. A bunch of screams filled the air as the rebels charged us. We kept them at bay firing. The townsfolk fought well as did the colored men. It was nice shooting by our side but their was too many of the enemy and too few of us. The attack kept up for hours. Boom a canon shell blasted the enemy. But it was not enough. Down went spears and Samson. Boom Rains was down, "Behind you Jacob!" I yelled as I was shot we fell to the ground eyes at each other "I feared I am killed. I hope I had done my best."  
  
The story of Sinkler's ridge was fresh in my mind. "I hope I have done my best." I knew that I had not done my best. I had giving the orders that doomed 17,000 defenseless Yeerks. I had sent my cousin to her doomed in battle to kill my brother. Would I ever be the same again? Sure Visser three was convicted of war crimes but it did not help me. My problem was personal. If Visser three was a war criminal what did that make me? My friends assured me that I wasn't. They based their reasoning on moral justification and my status as a world hero. That was good for the big picture but my problem was a little more personal. Still it would not do to mop the rest of my life, so I got a job. I was a tactical instructor at 92 psalms base in California. All top secret of course which explains why everyone assumes I have no job.  
  
Chapter 4 : out of the shadows of a legend (as told by Ax)  
  
My Name is Ax. I am Andalite. I was aboard my personal ship the Intrepid. Sleek, beautiful, and powerful. A ship fit for a king. We were looking for trouble, as my friend Marco would have put it. However, in space with only one ship to search for despite the fact it was one of a kind was hard to find. We had been searching for 2 whole years when we came upon a dead mammoth ship. It was huge. It was as huge as a small moon. "Sensors full sweep" I order the tactical officer. "Sensors show life forms! Human DNA!" replied the T.O. calmly. The ship was dead or so it seemed. I boarded the ship. Chapter 5: The eyes of a child. My name is Cassie. I knew when Jake left to rescue Ax that I had seen him for the last time. The state department had reported that terrorist seized an Andalite ship and crash as they attempted to leave earth's atmosphere. The Andalite government denied any involvement with the "incident." I already wept for my friends. It was two years after the fact that I decided to marry Ronnie. My friend in the interior of residential Aliens dept. it was now a year after we got married that we had children. A boy we named Jake Essagrouth Smith and a girl Rachel Smith. We also got a dog, which we named Marco, and a pet bird we named Tobias. I still kept in touch with Erik the chee. We talked every year. He has often appeared in the barn when I am feeding animals. He knows of the mission Jake went on. He had a new name and life now. His name was Jim. He was a rock musician for the rock band: the androids. I know corny but it suited him well. He was a rock star with a cause that naturally was nature and thus merited my attention. I even saw yamri on occasion and still kept in touch with Jake's parents. That was the hardest part telling them the truth.  
  
Chapter 6 Closing Time (as told by the Ellimist.)  
  
My name is the Ellimist and I was pleased at the outcome of earth. Yes Rachel was dead and so was the others except Cassie but on the upside Earth was saved and the cryak weakened. Then Jake and the remaining Animorphs save Cassie encountered the one power greater than cryak and me. He is called the assimilator. Because assimilates bodies into his own body for his own bizarre evil ends. When Jake encountered him he new it could not be defeated so he ordered the blade ship to be rammed. A soft wind spoke to me saying that the power of evil was shattered. Sacrificing himself Jake had destroyed the assimilator thus destroying cryak. Victory for me. I had two choices I could be come the new ruler or I could undo all of cryak's evil as I promised to do. A blinding light and poof. I was disoriented. Were was I? "You are in the hall of the Oracle. I am the Oracle of eternity! All that is, was, and ever will be." "what do you want?" I asked meekly. "You Ellimist have gained the right to the secret of creation." The Oracle said in loud voice. "Behold!" a flash and boom. I was starring at the fabric of time when it happened. The strains opened up and from inside those strains a scroll appeared. "Read the scroll!" the oracle commanded. It said a simple word: beauty. I was confused. Then watch as the scroll mutated in front of me into a holographic computer-crystal-ion program. This program contained the formula for creation. It was a moving experience. Then a girl appeared. It was one of the Animorphs: Rachel "Hello Ellimist." She said. And then she spoke a simple phrase: I came I saw I conquered." "I have conquered death!" I smiled deeply and then the Oracle spoke: "come Toomin your time in the universe is done join me in my palace! You shall be my counselor and Rachel my adopted Daughter!" As I turn to exit the universe, I said a single word: hope"  
  
Did you like the story was it a unique perspective on the Animorphs? I hope so. Will I write another Animorphs based story only time will tell.  
  
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